Opposition and new political parties are weighing up a move to petition the Election Commission after the EC unveiled its new districting map for the next election on Thursday.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is expected to dissolve the House of Representatives before the government term ends on March 23 and the election is slated for May 7.
The new district map is required because of the changes in the population number with the number of constituencies will increase from 350 in the 2019 election to 400 in the upcoming election.
Yet the revelation of the new districting map has both opposition and some coalition parties concerned not only because it could be against electoral laws but was gerrymandering to provide benefit to Prayut’s parties.
The EC map proposes 122 MP seats in the Central region (33 in Bangkok), 133 in the Northeast, 60 in the South, 37 in the North, 29 in the East and 19 in the West.
Opposition to EC
Pheu Thai MP Theerarat Samrejvanichnthe said his party is concerned that the new map helped certain political parties.
The opposition MP said if the EC insisted on using this new map, the election could be null and void.
“This is gerrymandering,” she said.
Pheu Thai MP Surachart Thienthong said that according to the law, the EC must take into account demographic changes, public participation and voter convenience when coming to drawing the electoral constancies map.
However, the new map did not take most of these factors into account and it was based mainly on the location of the sub-districts instead.
“For example, the electoral district number nine in Bang Khen district is a combination of one of Bang Khen’s sub-districts, two sub-districts from Chatuchak, and another one from Lak Si, he said,” he said.
“That a combination of sub-districts from three different districts…which is very weird and it could be against Article 27 of the MP election act,” he said.
Move Forward Party Spokesman Rangsiman Rome told Thai Enquirer that the new map is providing benefits to some parties but his party is ready to adapt to the changes even though there is not that much time left before the next election.
“There will be some effects and we are looking at it in more detail,” he said. “But, if you look back, it was the parties that are currently in power that have been benefitting from such redrawing.”
Democrat deputy leader Ongart Klampaiboon also said the map could be against electoral laws.
He urged the EC to strictly follow the law and regulations, disregarding the possible advantages and disadvantages of any political party or anyone and be fair.
Palang Pracharath Party list-MP Naruemon Pinyosinwat said her party was ready to take on the new changes.
Bhumjaithai registrar Supachai Jaisamu said incumbent MPs in his party will have to campaign in new areas they were not familiar with under the new zoning.
Chart Pattana Kla deputy leader Atthawit Suwanphakdi said his party filed a petition against the EC to the administrative court.
He said the petition is calling for the court to revoke the new electoral constancies map because it is against the law.
He said the move to combine sub-districts from many districts into 33 new electoral districts in Bangkok was not in accordance with regulations.